Andrea Petkovic tells hilarious story, denies notion that WTA handshakes are cold

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Andrea Petkovic shut down the narrative that WTA handshakes are cold by revealing how she once accidentally started to kind of make out with Gisela Dulko on the court. One of the biggest myths surrounding the WTA Tour is that female players don't really like each other very much and that their handshakes are often very cold and formal.

After Paula Badosa defeated Marta Kostyuk in the Rome third round, tennis fans started talking about how the two gave each other a very cold handshake. Petkovic, who handed Dulko a 6-3 6-1 loss in the 2010 Tokyo first round, had a story to tell.

"My favorite tennis memory is playing Gisela Dulko in Tokyo & after the match she went for an air kiss on the cheek, I went for a hug and we accidentally ended up kind of making out. We played at 10 am because of rain and the three audience members looked thouroughly confused.

So, not at all impressed by the narrative WTA handshakes are cold. You just have to show up at 10 am," Petkovic tweeted.

So, not at all impressed by the narrative WTA handshakes are cold. You just have to show up at 10 am. — Andrea Petkovic (@andreapetkovic) May 15, 2023

Petkovic recently ended her pro tennis career

Petkovic, 35, concluded her pro tennis chapter after last year's US Open.

In March, former world No 9 Petkovic hilariously explained how Serena Williams' retirement made it easier for her. "So I knew the end was coming and then I decided 'Ok, US Open is going to be it' and I didn't wanna announce it actually cause I didn't wanna have that extra pressure and then my team was like 'Whoa, but you have to let your fans know.'

I wake up the next day, I turn on my phone and I have 100 direct messages on my phone, 'Serena Williams retiring at the US Open' and I was like 'Ok, now it doesn't matter, nobody will care about poor little Andrea at the US Open.'

It was actually, I have to say, looking back at it; it was much easier for me that Serena was retiring at the same time," Petkovic said in March on the Inside-In podcast.